Mounting and driving of gear wheels



F. H. ROYCE I MOUNTING AND DRIVING OF GEAR WHEELS 1922 2 Shets-Slneei: 1

Filed Dec. 13

July 3, .1923 I F. H. ROYCE MOUNTING AND DRIVING OF GEAR WHEELS Filed Dec; 15, 1922 2 Sheets-Sheet B I Patented July 3, 1923'.

UNITED STATES FREDERICK HENRY ROYCE,

ITED, OI DERBY,

PATENT emc MOUNTING AND DBIVTNG OF GEAR WHEELS.

Application filed December 18, 1922. Serial No. 606,684.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I FREDERICK HENRY Boron, residing'at Der y, England, a subject of the King of Great Britain and Ireland, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in the Mounting and Driving of Gear Wheels (for which I have filed applications in England, No. 26,839, 11th October, 1921; Italy, No. 44,766, 18th November, 1922; France, No. 166,586, 23rd November, 1922; Spain,-23rd November, 1922; Germany, 28th November, 1922), of

which the following is a specification.

This invention relates'to the method of connecting a driving shaft, which may be an engine shaft (and is hereinafter referred as the engine shaft), and a driven shaft which is (o-axial therewith, in which the driven shaft is hollow and a connectin shaft is provided bdth. the engine shaft and to the driven shaft, the connection between the said driven shaft and the connecting shaft being at the end remote from the engine shaft The connectin flexible, by whic means there are secured between the engine shaft and the driven shaft' an amount of flexibility in an axial direction, flexibility to compensate for want of alignment and resilient driving effort.

Now the present invention comprises for use in such a method of connecting two such shafts, a mechanism for damping torsional vibrations which under some conditions 0 speed and load may be set up in the connecting shaft; and in the preferred form of the present invention this is effected by couplingthe end of the connecthe engine shaft, to the the engine shaft or tin shaft adjacdnt en of the pinion or dr ven shaft adjacent the engine shaft through the medium of a slipping device, preferably in the formof a friction coupling of the multiple plate type, so that said connecting shaft is coupled directly or indirectly to both ends of the pinion shaft but at one end through a slipping device. The slipping device should be designed to take up say one eighth of the 9 total torque whicl r'the engine applies to the driven shaft. f v v In the accompanying drawings is shown an example oft e invention, Fi re 1 being a central vertical section and igure 2 a within the driven .sha t and connected by interlocking serrations to shaft is also torsfonally;

front view of thegear box or casingalone looking in the direction of the arrow in Flgure 1, with one half removed.

a is the crank shaft case, having formed thereon the diaphragm a which has a 'hole therethroughfor the crank shaft to pass; (1, 1s an annular boss around such hole to receive and support the bearings a of the crank shaft; a is an annular projection formed on the diaphragm a and rabbeted as shown at a a is an elliptic extension formed on the casing 01, on which is formed an elliptic flange a which 'coalesces with the annular extension a of bosses a" with holes therethrough to receive connecting bolts.

The gear case is formed in two parts 6 and b. On part b is formed a diaphragm b with holes therethrough for the shafts of the driving and driven pinions to pass 'through. round these holes are annular bosses b b to receive and support the bearings of the shafts hereinafterreferred to; b is an annular projection formed on the diaphragrirb which fits against the rabbet a of the'gprojection a; b is a semi--0va projection formed on or attached tothe diaphragm b and on which is formed an elliptic flange b whichcoalesces with the annular extension I) and has a number of bosses b with holes therethrough to receive connecting bolts.

The upper half of the part b of the gear caseisprojected in the form of a truncated f cone and terminates in an mternally pro e b with a number of bolt holes therethroug b is a housing. having formed thereon a flange b with bolt holes therethrough corresponding, with the holes in flange b and secured thereto by bolts b" and nuts 12 The housing I) supports and locates bearings for the driven shaft hereinafter referred to. The lower half of the part b of the gear case is cylindrical in shape and has an internally projecting flange b which reeeives and supports bearings for the driving inion shaft hereinafter referred to, and a ange b which receives the-cover b". The two parts I) and b of the gear case are held together by a number of bolts and nuts I)" and b, andthe gear case is secured to the crank case by a number 'of bolts and nuts shaft of the driving 6" and b. c is the 0 pinion with the pinion c integral there jecting flan and has a number g; ame

with, mounted in two roller bearings 0 c of which the inner races are rigidly fixed to the shaft 0 and the outer races are se-' :cured respectively to the flange 6 and the serrations on the shaft 0 and internal teeth 0 on the larger end. c is an annular dlsc like member with annular flanges on its inner and outer circumferences and havin formed on the outer flange external axial serrations to engage the plates of the fric tion clutch hereinafter described; a" a are nuts engaging threads at the ends of the shaft 0 to locate thereon the races of the roller bearings and the members 0* and 0. d is the crank shaft and d a flange formed thereon or attached thereto. 03 is an an nular member secured to the flange d by a number of bolts and nuts d and d cuplike in shape with a hole through the centre; and at the rim of such hole is an internally projecting flange d on which are formed teeth d, and having on its outer rim d internal axial serrations d 6 is a floating hollow connecting shaft rigidly connected to the annular member 6 which abuts against a shoulder e and is secured rotatively .in relation to the shaft e by mutually engaging serrations e and axially by nut 6 engaging a thread on the shaft e. Un the outer circumference of member 6 are formed teeth 6 1 and forming a driving connection between split ring the member (1 the crank shaft 03 and the connecting shaft e. The other end of the shaft 0 opens outwards and terminates in a flange e, on the outer side of which are teeth '6 engaging the teeth 0 on the pinion shaft 0.

Axial movement of the connecting shaft is limited by coming into contact with one end or the other of the pinion shaft.

The connecting shaft e thus forms a driving connection between the crank shaft (Z and the pinion shaft 0, and by reason of its being unsupported by bearings and connected to the two shafts c1 and d in the manner described, it will continue to drive without any mischief notwithstanding any slight want of alignment between said shafts a and (Z. Further the. connecting shaft e is capa ble of yielding to a degree under torsional strain and thus supplies a resilient or spring efiect to the drive. I

f is a series of annular friction discs alternately serrated to engage the serrations on and the member 0 respectively; f is an annular plate locating the frictlon discs 7 and secured on one side by F, f are a number of helical springs located in pockets formed in the member d urging an annular plate. f

engaging the teeth 03" her at against the discs I, thus forming a friction coupling drive between the crank shaft d and the adjacent endof the pinion shaft 0. The said friction coupling is adjusted to take about one eighth of the torque strain exerted b the engine on the pinion shaft 0 before s ipping, and the effect is to damp torsional vibrations in the connecting shaft e.

g is the driven pinion mounted on the tapered portion 9 of the driven or propeller shaft 9 supported in roller bearings g (which with the thrust bearings g are housed in housing 55) and roller bearings 9 The pinion g is secured to the saft g for the drive by keys 9 and secured axially by the inner race of the roller bearing 9 and'the nut 9 a 'What I claim as my invention and desire to sechre by Letters Patent of the United States is 1. In a gear mounting, the combination of a driving shaft, a driven shaft coaxial therewith, the latter shaft being hollow, a connecting shaft located within said driven shaft, connecting means between one end of the connecting shaft and the adjacent end of said driving shaft, means between the opposite end of said connecting shaft and t e slipping driving connection between adjacent ends of the driven shaft'and driving shaft. I

2. In a gear mounting, the combination of a driving" shaft, a driven shaft coaxial therewith, the latter shaft being hollow, a connecting shaft located within said driven shaft, connecting means between one end of the connecting shaft and the adjacent end of said driving shaft, other connecting means between the opposite end of said connecting shaft and the driven shaft, and a slipping driving connection between the riven shaft and that end of Y the connecting shaft which is adjacent the driving shaft.

3. In a gear mounting, the combination of a driving shaft,'a driven shaft coaxial therewith, the latter shaft being hollow, a connecting shaft located within said driven shaft, connecting means between one end of the connecting shaft and the adjacent end of said driving shaft, other connecting means between the 0 meeting shaft and t e driven shaft, and a other connecting posite end of said condriven shaft, and a.

friction coupling constituting a slipping driving connection'between adjacent ends of the driving and driven shafts.

4. In a gear mounting, the combination of a driving shaft, a driven shaft coaxial therewith, the latter shaft being hollow, a

connecting shaft located within said driven shaft, connecting means between one end the connecting shaft and the adjacent end of said driving shaft, other connecting means between the op osite end of said connecting shaft and t e driven shaft, and

means interposed between the driving and driven shafts for damping torsional vibrations in the connecting shaft.

6. In a gear mounting, the combination of a driving shaft, a hollow driven shaft coaxial therewith, a connecting shaft disposed within the driven shaft and coupled to the same at one end, a member secured to the driving shaft and con led to the other end of the connecting sha t, and a friction coupling carried by said member for coaction with the adjacent end. of the driven shaft. 1

7 In a gear mounting, the combination of a driving shaft, a hollow driven shaft coaxial therewith, a connecting shaft disposed within the driven shaft and coupled to the same at one .end, a cup-shaped member secured to the driving shaft and con led to the other end of the connecting sha a set of friction discs carriedby and con led to said member, and angannular mem er encircling andcoupled to-the driven shaft and in which the cup-sha encircled by and coupled to the friction discs. 1

8. In a gear mounting, the combination of a driving shaft, a hollow driven shaft coaxial therewith, a connecting shaft disposed witliin the driven shaft and coupled to'the same at one end, a cup-shapedmembersecuredto the driving shaft and cou led to the other end of the connecting sha a set of friction discs carried by and coupled to said member, and. an annular disc interposed between the friction discs and the driven shaft and having its outer and inner edges serrated for coaction with serrations' formed on the inner edges of said friction discs and on the outer surface of said driven shaft. 1

9. A gear mounting according to claim 8, ed member is provided on its inner wal with serrations disposed eo-planar with the friction discs and the annular disc; and in which the serrations of alternate friction discs are engaged with the serrations on said cup-shaped memger and on the outer edge of said annular isc.

of a driving shaft, a hollow driven shaft coaxial therewith, a connecting shaft disposed within the driven shaft, said driven and connecting shafts having coacting driving teeth at one end, the other end of the connecting shaft and the driving shaft also 10. In a gearmounting, the combination having coacting driving teeth, and a slipping drivin connection between adjacent ends of the driven and driving shafts.

In witness'whereof I have signed this specification.

FREDERICK HENRY ROYCE. 

